Chapter 038 – Moving

After a few more questions, Li Yuan gained a basic understanding of how the Blood Blade Sect worked. Broadly speaking, there were two types of disciples—

The first was those who trained in the sect’s martial arts and didn’t engage in regular labor. This included all the inner disciples and some of the outer disciples.

The second was those who maintained the sect’s operations in its territories. This included associate members and some of the less-talented outer disciples.

Cai Ze fell into this second category.

Li Yuan had managed to secure his permit to live in Silver Creek, so being just an associate member didn’t bother him too much. Of the four placement options he’d been given, he quickly ruled out watch patrol and bailiff duty.

The watch patrol was too much hard work for too little reward. There was no point taking on that drudgery if he didn’t have to.

As for bailiff duty, though wearing an official uniform could bring plenty of bribes and gifts, it also meant running around to collect taxes. The odds of stumbling upon any useful martial arts manuals that way were slim.

That left the public market and black market. The public market offered certain comforts and pleasures—an easy life of

free samples

, so to speak—while the black market had more risk, but also a vast array of goods passing through. If there was any chance of getting his hands on a new martial art, it would be there, so Li Yuan was leaning in that direction.

As for the first category of sect disciples, Li Yuan recalled from Cai Ze's explanation that they divided their time in three phases.

Disciples in the first phase stayed within the sect to train day in and day out, likely those still striving for basic breakthroughs.

In the second phase, they formed teams to venture outside for real combat experience. Those were likely the ones pushing toward higher levels.

Finally, in the third phase, they withdrew into closed-door cultivation, seeking a kind of enlightenment.

The setup reminded Li Yuan of his own skill breakthrough memories. Advancing basic or intermediate skills came with repetitive practice; advanced skills required real combat; and expert skill breakthroughs demanded moments of insight. Master skills needed a true mentor’s guidance. All of it took time, effort, and resources. It made him appreciate that there was no free lunch in this world.

A quick glance at the corner of his vision showed he had 96 stat points again. Perhaps he would invest them soon. Yet he also believed that if he had ten parts of strength, he should usually show only three, saving the rest for emergencies. Those unallocated points were his ace in the hole.

With the new tokens in hand, Li Yuan said goodbye to Cai Ze and headed back to Little Ink Village. He was relieved. Even if he couldn’t become a formal outer disciple of the Blood Blade Sect and had to live in the shanty district, at least he’d be moving to Silver Creek. His first major goal was accomplished. His social standing was on the rise.

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When Li Yuan got home, Yan Yu was washing clothes. He snuck up and hugged her from behind.

Startled, she let out a yelp and nearly reached for the lime powder she kept for self-defense. Realizing it was him, she relaxed into his arms with a playful scolding. “You scared me half to death, what are you doing?”

He picked her up and spun her around. Overjoyed, he told her about everything that had happened that day. Yan Yu was thrilled. True, they were just moving to the shanty district, but it was still Silver Creek. Plus, Li Yuan had become an associate member of the Blood Blade Sect, a big step up from their previous circumstances.

They settled into the small courtyard to discuss their future.

“Now I won’t have to worry about leaving you alone all day,” Li Yuan said. “During the day, I’ll either help manage the black market or head to Little Ink Mountain to hunt. At night, I can take you around the town streets. We won’t have to crawl into bed as soon as the sun goes down anymore.

“And you won’t have to do all the chores by yourself. I was thinking of hiring a maid to help. That way, you can do as you please.”

Yan Yu blinked. “A maid?”

“It makes sense,” he explained. “We’ll be living in the main room, and she can stay in the side room. Lots of folks in the shanty district probably have maids too, especially if they’ve got any real status. It’s not as though it’s just random paupers living there.”

She tried to keep smiling, but Li Yuan sensed a trace of sadness in her eyes. Still, she knew that now they had a bit of money and he was a recognized member of the sect, hiring a maid was hardly extravagant. Pressing close to him, she said softly, “All right.”

“How about you pick the maid,” Li Yuan went on.

“Me?”

“I don’t know your preferences, right? You’re the one who’ll spend more time with her. She’s supposed to help you with chores, not me.”

Yan Yu hugged his waist, looking up at him. “You’re so good to me, Li Yuan. I swear, my whole life, I’ll only ever have room in my heart for you.”

“A whole lifetime, then,” he murmured, thinking of his eternal youth. Holding her close, he quietly agreed, “Mhm.”

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The next morning, Yan Yu woke in his arms, lazily shifting her legs against his. She yawned, then slid higher so her lips were near his ear, a mischievous glint in her eye.

“Husband...” she cooed.

Li Yuan chuckled. “That’s a new way of addressing me.”

“I’m used to calling you Li Yuan,” she said. “But now I’d like a change.”

“Not sure I’ve ever heard anyone around here call their man husband,” he teased lightly.

“Do you not like it...Husband?” she asked in a syrupy voice.

He felt her mood brightening. With a tiny laugh, he admitted, “I like it.”

She continued in a playful tone, “In that case, let’s skip buying a maid altogether.”

“Huh? Why refer to yourself so humbly all of a sudden?” he joked, noticing the shift in her tone..

She pouted. “Don’t you like it?”

He laughed. “Sure, it’s fine. But how exactly do you plan to get by without a maid?”

Yan Yu proposed, “What if we bring Auntie Wang along as a live-in helper instead? I know her well. She’s my closest friend in Little Ink Village. If we leave, she has no one else. Her husband’s gone, and she has two kids. They won’t survive here on their own.”

Li Yuan hesitated. “She has children. The side room is already small. Can it fit all of them?”

“Well, if you don’t like the idea, we can forget it.”

He shook his head. “No, if that’s what you want, then sure.”

˙·٠✧🐗➶➴🏹✧٠·˙

That evening, a rider on horseback galloped into Little Ink Village and stopped at Li Yuan’s door. The man wore dark robes trimmed in blood-red. He was unmistakably a Blood Blade Sect disciple, emanating a fierce presence. Hearing the commotion, Li Yuan came out to greet him. The disciple looked him over, grinning.

“Name’s Yu Mao. I suppose I’d be your senior brother,” the man said. He handed Li Yuan a small wooden chest. “It contains your official sect robes and a saber. From now on, you can wear that robe in public, so people know you’re with the Blood Blade Sect. It’ll save you a lot of trouble.”

“Thank you,” Li Yuan answered. Noticing the faint 24~25 hovering near the man, he bowed politely. He then asked Yan Yu to bring out some preserved meat as a gift. “We don’t have much around here. Just some homemade jerky.”

Yu Mao glanced at it but declined. “I’m just here to deliver your things. No need for gifts. The sect says you have three days to settle into Silver Creek. After that, you’ll report to the black market. Senior Li is stationed there at the moment. Find him and tell him you’ve arrived. As for lodging, you can use your identity pass for a free room in the shanty district. That’s part of the sect’s support for associate members. Senior Li will explain the rest.”

With that, Yu Mao rode off, leaving Li Yuan to head back inside. Opening the chest, Li Yuan took out the dark robe trimmed with red and tried it on. It fit perfectly.

Yan Yu stood by, gazing in awe. “Husband, you look completely different in that, so imposing.”

Li Yuan laughed and lifted the saber. Glancing at his stats in the corner of his vision, he noticed them jump from 9~10 to 12~13. Setting down the blade and picking up his iron bow, they rose again to 39~40.

Returning his attention to Yan Yu, he murmured, “The black market...it really might have some interesting things to offer.”